Piano playing device



Oct. 2, 1951 VAN DYKE HILL PIANO PLAYING DEVICE Fi lediJuly 23, 1946 I INVIENTOR V an Jy/(e flfll ATTORNEY Patented Oct. 2, 1951 UNITED STATES PAT ENFI' :iGIFFFICE 1 Claim.

This invention relates to a piano-playing device comprising a plurality of keys combined with mechanism so arranged that when eachkey is struck, it will operate several keys of the piano to play a chord.

In general, my device comprises a box-like member adapted to be positioned over the keys of a keyboard. In this box are pivoted a plurality of horizontal keys and the pivots for these keys are located toward the back of the box so that the movement of these keys will be approximately parallel to the movement of the actual piano keys. Each of the keys of my device is operatively connected with a striking member adapted to contact a plurality of the piano keys. In order that these striking members may not interfere with each other, they are arranged at different points back from the front ends of the piano keys. Due to the fact that in my device the-striking members are operated by horizontal keys whose movement is approximately parallel to the piano keys, the position of the striking members is virtually unimportant, for the moments delivered to the piano mechanism are the same irrespective of the position of the striking members.

This invention can readily be understood by reference to the accompanying drawing which shows an illustrative example of the same. In these drawings, Fig. 1 is a perspective view showing such an illustrative device mounted on a piano keyboard; Fig. 2 is a vertical section through line 2-2 of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a similar sectional view showing the device with one of the keys depressed and Fig. 4 is a front view cut away and partly in section showing one of the operating levers depressed so as to move a plurality of the piano keys.

In the drawing, the numeral I indicates a boxlike structure mounted on the keyboard so that the keys of this structure overlie the keys of the piano. In the example shown the device is proportioned so that it can be placed in position on the keyboard with the left edge of the device directly over the seventh white key on the left of middle C. The device is locked in position when it is lowered onto the keys, as will be further explained.

Pivoted in the box [0 are a series of keys l2 extending back from a recess formed in the front of the box. These keys are pivoted on an axis toward the back of the box as indicated at I and these keys are mounted horizontally to overlie and run approximately parallel with the keys of the piano.

Each of the keys I2 is operatively connected with a striking member l8 consisting of an arm having a plurality of strikers 18, each one of which is adapted to contact one piano key. This is clearly illustrated in Fig. 4. The striking mem bers [6 are of varying shapes so that each one will strike a different chord of the piano. These can be arranged in any desired manner. Upon depressing any one of the keys l2, the member l6 carrying its strikers l8 depresses the corresponding keys of the piano and a chord is struck.

As shown in the drawings, the fulcrum point of the keys [2 is toward the back of the box and is approximately above but slightly in front of the fulcrum point 24 of the piano keys 22. Also in this embodiment the outer ends of the keys I 2 protrude beyond the outer ends of the piano keys 22 for a distance approximately equal to the distance by which the fulcrum I4 is in front of the fulcrum 24. By virtue of this arrangement, any particular key l2 and the piano keys 22 controlled by it will remain approximately parallel when such key I2 is struck, irrespective of the position of the strike member l6 connected with that particular key l2. This means that each key I2 will transmit its motion to the piano mechanism equally with the others.

In order to position the box I 2 in place on the piano, projections 26 are provided which slide under the plate 30 of the piano that covers the back end of the piano keys. Two hooked members 28 are provided which can slide down back of two of the black keys of the piano to hold the device in position. To put the box on the piano the projections 26 are slipped in under the plate 30 and then the front edge of the box is slowly lowered until the hooks 28 come behind the approximate black keys.

As a guide to playing the device I have found it appropriate to give each of the keys l2 a number and then music can be written by simply arranging the numbers in sequence. Since each number will indicate a key controlling a chord, the sounding of these chords in proper sequence will give the desired effect.

What I claim is:

The combination of a box-like structure adapted to be removably mounted directly above the keys of a piano, a plurality of supplemental keys pivoted horizontally in such box and overlying the piano keys, each of such keys being the width of an ordinary white piano key and said keys lying parallel to each other, a common pivot bar for such keys, a plurality of thin actuating plates running at right angles to the piano keys and overlapping each other in a common horizontal plane, and each adapted to contact a plurality of the white keys of the piano,

and means for suspending each of such actuating 5 plates from one of said supplemental keys without other attachment to the device or to the piano so that when one of the supplemental keys is struck, the actuating member suspended from it will be moved to depress a plurality of piano 10 keys and thereby sound a chord.

VAN DYKE HILL.

REFERENCES CITED UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,234,814 Standridge July 31, 1917 2,003,384 Moore June 4, 1935 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 52,046 Germany May 12, 1890 29,952 Great Britain Dec. 22, 1909 11,073 Australia Dec. 28, 1928 

